Before the start of last year’s Champions League semi-finals, the entire world was licking their lips at the prospect of an El Clásico in the Champions league final.

Fast forward a few days and that dream was shattered, as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, thoroughly outclassed both of the Spanish top two, with Bayern winning the whole thing by defeating Dortmund in the final, a month later.

Ever since that Champions League triumph, Bayern have set their sights on domination once again. From the announcement of Pep Guardiola as manager towards the end of last year’s European campaign, to the arrival of Europe’s hottest young property in Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona, Bayern have raised the bar, even before the start of the campaign.

Against Barcelona, Bayern turned on the style and outclassed them in every department. It was not a lucky win, but one that was concocted through precise preparations that were meant to attack on the one, seemingly eternal weakness Barcelona always seems to possess - their lack of physical strength.

And now the man who masterminded Barcelona’s world domination at the helm, the rest of Europe have began to tremble at the prospect of this Bayern team.

Last year, their attack was primarily based on wonderful wing work from their wing wizards Robben and Ribery, coupled with the combination of instinctive passing, technique and vision.

That clearly showed the world that this was not a flash in the pan but a team that built over the past decade or so and one that exemplified the strength that the great German national teams always possessed, team work.

Now with Guardiola at the helm, one can only wonder as to what might happen in the coming season, with the addition of two of the most creative and versatile attacking midfielders in Alcantara and Mario Gotze.

Back in May, on the back of the scintillating semi-final victory, some German newspapers cheekily remarked that Europe seems to be under German command yet again.

And a few months down the line, all this talk of a power shift isn’t a totally unreasonable theory, as it is backed up by pulsating performances by Bayern, who seem to have found the right balance and under Guardiola’s stewardship, the only way Bayern can go from here is forward.

But, for now, in Bavaria at least, there hasn’t been too much of a fuss made about world domination just yet. As, thanks to the famous final in 99 at the Camp Nou, they know all too well, about the perils of celebrating before fat lady sings.

AC Milan come into this match off the back of one of their best attacking displays and their fans will hope that the floodgates are open now.AC Milan vs. Olympiakos - Europa League Preview Match Date: 04 October 2018 (local[…]

Table Games

Of all the systems you can actually bet on a soccer match this really is the simplest ; simply prognosticate whether the match will end in a home win , an away win or maybe a draw and place your money down accordingly . In case your prediction is correct , you win at the odds the bookmaker has quoted . As long as the final result is different from your own prediction , you lose .

Correct Score

Yet another relatively simple type of bet , with this one you need to simply predict the score at the end of normal time period ( not after extra time , or penalties , or over two legs ) . Remember that possible scores are generally quoted as home team first , away team second , so make double-sure you get all of them the proper way down before you decide to place any money down .

While Correct Score is an easy bet to make , given there are lots of probable outcomes of a single game , the odds of guessing accurately are likely to be quite minimal , turning this type of bet quite unpopular with serious tipsters .

Accumulators

Accumulators give you the option to bet on the results of several matches at once . The more sports event you bet on , the better your odds become . Then again , these are way more risky than single Correct Score bets considering that every bet in your Accumulator will have to come good , otherwise you lose . Double and treble accumulators are among the most recommended , though bookmakers will be happy for you to bet on as many events as you desire .

Halftime/Fulltime

A twist on Correct Score , Halftime/Fulltime ( or simply HT/FT as you may find it marketed as ) permits you to prognosticate what the score of a sports event will be first after 45 minutes and then after 90 . With this particular kind of bet , you surely will be given 9 alternatives , representing the 9 different available results . For example , you can actually back a team to be level at half time and win over 90 mins or even to be ahead at the half time and end up as losers .

First Goal Scorer

Remember , this is as simple as it sounds like . Straightforwardly forecast who will score the first goal in a game and back this player . As compared to other , more risky bets , this is usually a pretty risk-free choice , especially when you have a good knowledge of form going into a match . But bear in mind , bookmakers sometimes change their rules , so while some may count an own goal as the first one of the match , others might overlook these and only count 'normal' goals . Furthermore , while some bookies will give you your money back if the player you back is not on the soccer field at the time of the first goal , some will not .

First Goal Scorer may very well be combined with Correct Score or Full-time Result , with these combinations providing much better odds .

First Corner

This particular bet will let you prognosticate when the first corner of a soccer game will be , wither to the exact minute or within a specified period ( for instance , between 10 and 15 minutes ) . The odds available for this type of bet usually are quite eye-catching , despite the fact that it's difficult – or even impossible – to prognosticate this accurately , making First Corner more a fun flutter rather than a serious bet .

Number of Corners

As well as being able to predict when the first corner of a game will be , you may also be able to bet on how many corners there will be in one soccer match . Remember , you can get longer odds for betting on an exact number , but you will be able to spread your bets , for instance by placing money on there being between 5 and 10 corners in the standard 90 mins .

In Play Markets

A quite new and very popular phenomenon , In Play Markets permit you to place bets as matches progress , with odds constantly shifting . As an example , when a team goes behind early on , you may bet on them coming from behind to win , and even back a certain player to get the next goal . Some on-line bookmakers supply live streaming of sports events , providing punters the possiblity to place bets as the action unfolds , and , as long as you have funds in your account , you are free to change your mind as frequently as you desire .